#Blue Castle

[blekitnyzamek]

Illustrations from "Blue Castle"

In Poland we have 5 translations of "Blue Castle" (and in the 1st one Valancy is not named Valancy but Joanna (Joanne); and I think it's funny enough to dedicate separate post about that in the future) and one of them has such a magical illustrations, that I need to share them <3

All of them are from this edition of "The Blue Castle"/"Błękitny zamek" (which was translated by Jolanta Bartosik) and were drawn by Katarzyna Karina Chmiel. Cover too, just look at it! I love this artstyle.

I will add quotes adjacent to the illustrations above them. That one is on title-page, gorgeous<3

Valancy went home by the short-cut of Lover’s Lane. She did not often go through Lover’s Lane—but it was getting near supper-time and it would never do to be late. Lover’s Lane wound back of the village, under great elms and maples, and deserved its name. It was hard to go there at any time and not find some canoodling couple—or young girls in pairs, arms intertwined, earnestly talking over their little secrets. Valancy didn’t know which made her feel more self-conscious and uncomfortable.

She [Valancy] had flatly refused to take either Purple Pills or Redfern’s Bitters. She had announced coolly that she did not intend to answer to the name of “Doss” any longer. She had told Cousin Stickles that she wished she would give up wearing that brooch with Cousin Artemas Stickles’ hair in it. She had moved her bed in her room to the opposite corner. She had read Magic of Wings Sunday afternoon. When Cousin Stickles had rebuked her Valancy had said indifferently, “Oh, I forgot it was Sunday”—and had gone on reading it.

Cousin Stickles had seen a terrible thing—she had caught Valancy sliding down the bannister. Cousin Stickles did not tell Mrs. Frederick this—poor Amelia was worried enough as it was.

Valancy had walked out to Roaring Abel’s house on the Mistawis road under a sky of purple and amber, with a queer exhilaration and expectancy in her heart. Back there, behind her, her mother and Cousin Stickles were crying—over themselves, not over her. But here the wind was in her face, soft, dew-wet, cool, blowing along the grassy roads. Oh, she loved the wind! The robins were whistling sleepily in the firs along the way and the moist air was fragrant with the tang of balsam. Big cars went purring past in the violet dusk—the stream of summer tourists to Muskoka had already begun—but Valancy did not envy any of their occupants. Muskoka cottages might be charming, but beyond, in the sunset skies, among the spires of the firs, her Blue Castle towered. She brushed the old years and habits and inhibitions away from her like dead leaves. She would not be littered with them.

“We’ll just sit here,” said Barney, “and if we think of anything worth while saying we’ll say it. Otherwise, not. Don’t imagine you’re bound to talk to me.”

“John Foster says,” quoted Valancy, “‘If you can sit in silence with a person for half an hour and yet be entirely comfortable, you and that person can be friends. If you cannot, friends you’ll never be and you need not waste time in trying.’”

“Evidently John Foster says a sensible thing once in a while,” conceded Barney.

“There’s our island,” he said gloatingly.

Valancy looked—and looked—and looked again. There was a diaphanous, lilac mist on the lake, shrouding the island. Through it the two enormous pine-trees that clasped hands over Barney’s shack loomed out like dark turrets. Behind them was a sky still rose-hued in the afterlight, and a pale young moon.

Valancy shivered like a tree the wind stirs suddenly. Something seemed to sweep over her soul.

“My Blue Castle!” she said. “Oh, my Blue Castle!”

Valancy and Barney turned under the mainland pines in the cool dusk of the September night for a farewell look at the Blue Castle. Mistawis was drowned in sunset lilac light, incredibly delicate and elusive. Nip and Tuck were cawing lazily in the old pines. Good Luck and Banjo were mewed and mewing in separate baskets in Barney’s new, dark-green car en route to Cousin Georgiana’s.

[itsnotira]

Get A Damn Room...Please

My Lovecore Playlist My Paradise~ Ask Box Masterlist

Kunimi: "Oikawa senpai, Yahaba and Kyōtani are fighting again..." Oikawa: "That's just sexaul tension Kunimi-chan!" Kindaichi: "Yahaba-san's choking him!??? Tf you mean???" Yahaba: "Shut the hell up or I'll spit in your mouth!!" Kyōtani: "I'D LIKE THAT, DUMBASS!!" Yahaba:"FUCK YOU!!" Kyōtani: "MAYBE YOU SHOULD!??" Yahaba: "BET!?" Oikawa: "See? Sexual ten-" Iwaizumi: "HELL NO, HANDS OFF, get a fucking room. no one wants to see it!" Oikawa: "Iwa-chan...~ 😓" Iwaizumi: wtf???

[kehlana-wolhamonao3]

Polish cover of Blue Castle - I love that the artist clearly read the book!

[alwayschasingrainbows]

Valancy Stirling is the most relatable of L.M. Montgomery's heroines, I think.

Not many people can have Emily's talent, Pat's sensitivity, Anne's charm, Rilla's courage or Kilmeny's beauty.

But many people, just as Valancy:

have insecurities,

go through a time when they feel unloved and unwanted,

are afraid to offend someone,

find it difficult to voice their opinions,

rely on their sense of humour to survive,

have their own "blue castle",

hope for a "dustpile of their own".

Valancy is just a girl. A woman with insecurities, hopes and dreams.

She teaches us that there is a courage in each one of us, even though sometimes we cannot find it.

She teaches us it is possible to find friendship, love and happiness in every situation.

She shows us that something seemingly destroyed might yet blossom - just like her rosebush did - and turn out to be exquisite.

[bluecastlecomic]

Previous |

So we've come to the end of what I've decided is Part 2! I'll be taking a couple months to build up a buffer of pages going into Part 3, especially because since starting this project, a lot of my circumstances have changed - mainly that I'm working full time again and I don't have as much time to dedicate to this project as I used to have. That said - this puts us past the halfway point of this project!

Regardless, I'll be back as soon as I can be. I want to finish this project before moving onto new projects, so don't worry, this won't be left unfinished!

To everyone who's commented/liked/reblogged: thank you so so much! It's really really helpful and encouraging to see people respond positively to this project, especially on days when I'm particularly frustrated.

Go to Start | Start Part 2

[specificpollsaboutbooks]

Famous Authors, Lesser Known Works

Semifinal

Lucy Maud Montgomery is better known for Anne of Green Gables

Douglas Adams is better known for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

"Apparently, this book was revised from an unused Doctor Who story, and once I learned that, I couldn't unsee it. The Hitchhiker's Guide series might be funnier, but I think this book and it's sequel are cleverer. They almost have to be, considering the theme of the interconnectedness of all things! Also, the book is nothing like the recent TV series "adaptation.""

[klcthebookworm]

January - The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery

My first running across a mention of this novel was in Code: Safe Word a Megamind fanfic by setepenre_set. I was intrigued enough by the quotes and the connected characterization to put it on my "read that someday" list. After all, I had been gifted most of the Anne of Green Gables series (a few books were skipped in the box set) and I would reread some of them quite often. I was gifted a copy for Christmas by a Canadian friend (thank you @jedidryad), and stuck it in the "to be read" pile for an entire year.

Less said about my lack of reading during 2024 the better. I finally cracked the "to be read" pile. Now, I didn't make a good choice over not stopping the reading while in bed waiting to get sleepy, but the book was excellent. I can see why it is a beloved story and Valancy finding her inner strength and happiness is inspiring. But woof, her family of origin are horrible, small-minded narcissists! And it was a bit hard since I'm currently dealing with my own family issues. However, the skewering Montgomery gave these character through Valancy was enjoyable and cathartic. I also found it amusing that the year date could not be uttered in the narrator's voice to keep the book from being dated and we have the fashion and certain background women labeled as "flappers," which sorry does date it.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and look forward to rereading it when my personal family drama is more calm.

[all-peristeronic]

Appreciation post for one of my favorite lines:

She handed him Dr. Trent's letter.

Barney opened it with the air of a man thankful to find some safe, sane thing to do.

[firwoods]

“If you can sit in silence with a person for half an hour and yet be entirely comfortable, you and that person can be friends. If you cannot, friends you'll never be and you need not waste time in trying.” - Lucy Maud Montgomery, Blue Castle

[imaginary-land-scapes]

so who's going to make the valancy/barney fanvid set to kelly clarkson's Breakaway

[ruins-and-rewritez]

Blue Castle (Aoba Johsai)

The Grand King

The Onion Head

The Iwa-Chan

[Photo ID: black and white manga panels of the Aoba Johsai High School Volleyball Team members and their stats on a five-point parameter of power, jumping, stamina, intelligence, technique, and speed. In order Tohru Oikawa, Yutaro Kindaichi, Hajime Iwaizumi, Nobuteru Irihata, and Sadayuki Mizoguchi, INCOMPLETE]

(Haikyuu!! Character Reference Master Post Here)

[blekitnyzamek]

I just received my copy of The Blue Castle: The Original Manuscript and it's so pretty!

It even has a ✨MAP✨

It will be a big help while writing my BA thesis 💙💃

[alwayschasingrainbows]

"Never had she imagined anything so splendid. A great, tinted peace. Blue, wind-winnowed skies. Sunlight sleeping in the glades of that fairyland. Long dreamy purple days paddling idly in their canoe along shores and up the rivers of crimson and gold. A sleepy, red hunter’s moon. Enchanted tempests that stripped the leaves from the trees and heaped them along the shores. Flying shadows of clouds. What had all the smug, opulent lands out front to compare with this?"

The Blue Castle, L.M. Montgomery

a wonderful place

[kehlana-wolhamonao3]

“Valancy,” he said, trying to speak lightly, “of course I’m not in love with you—never thought of such a thing as being in love. But, do you know, I’ve always thought you were a bit of a dear.”

I want to hug him in that scene. He finds it so hard to wrap his head around the fact that somebody could love him.

[alwayschasingrainbows]

Valancy Stirling (The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery)

Source: Pinterest (link under the cut)

[bluecastlecomic]

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This page was astoundingly difficult for me to plan out, believe it or not.

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